There are several surgical situations in which a patient, who is to undergo a surgical procedure on the organs and structures in the upper abdomen, must be supported in an inclined position in such a manner that a doctor while in front of the patient has optimum access to the patient's upper abdominal region. For example, such support is required to permit optimum frontal exposure of a patient's epigastric region for a surgeon to perform laparoscopic procedures with the patient under general anesthesia. When the back of such a patient is inclined relative to the local horizontal by adjustment of a known tilting support table, there is a natural tendency for the patient to slide forwardly and downwardly toward the front of the inclined table.
Typically, in frontal surgical procedures involving the epigastric area/region, the patient's legs are somewhat bent at the knees and are individually supported in a lithotomy position with adjustable stirrups. This position, coupled with the paralyzing effects of general anesthesia and the downward gravitational draw along the surgical table causes the patient to be unstably supported. Without a more secure means, and depending on size, weight and general physical condition, the patient will probably end up in an uncomfortable position and the attending doctor also will have difficulty in performing the intended examination/treatment. In addition, since the patients are surgical pateints and will be anesthetized, there is a danger of the patient sliding completely off the operating table.
One known solution to this problem is for the patient to be initially laid supine on the table in an essentially horizontally position, and for a flexible bag filled with Styrofoam pellets to be placed under the patient's posterior with the legs bent relative to the patient's trunk. The bag is then adhesively taped to the table surface. In one variation of this technique, suction may be applied to the interior of the bag to extract air and cause the Styrofoam pellets to become compacted immediately adjacent to the patient's pelvis. The patient's legs are then supported on individual stirrups in known manner and the table, with stirrups attached, is thereafter controllably inclined to the horizontal so that part of the patient's weight is supported by the Styrofoam-filled flexible bag (with or without applied suction). The flexible bag itself is prevented from sliding relative to the inclined table surface by the tape adhering to both the flexible bag and the inclined table. This technique is relatively simple and provides customized support to the patient in a manner which at least partially limits the patient's tendency to slide relative to the inclined table support surface. Unfortunately, the Styrofoam-filled bag, in order to be at all effective, tends to be of a size and shape which at least somewhat impedes a doctor's access to the patient and is unpredictable in providing secure support when the patient is at an optimum inclination.
There are also other circumstances when a patient needs part of his or her body held in position by a support element located underneath the pelvis.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,599,962, to Henry, titled "Orthopedics Cast Chair", discloses an adjustable chair apparatus for supporting a person in a position which permits bandaging and casting of various parts of the body, particularly the lower extremities and torso. The apparatus includes a bicycle-type saddle seat adjustably mounted on a supporting frame so as to maintain the patient in a sitting position. The patient's legs are suspended and the patient's trunk is maintained substantially upright, without support members adjacent the patient's lower extremities, so that the legs may be freely operated upon.
U.S. Design Pat. No. 357,538, to Sockwell, II et al, titled "Board for Supporting Pregnant Women", discloses an ornamental design for a board for supporting pregnant women. The design includes an inclined table and a seat apparently supported at the distal end of a substantially horizontal rod or tube extended through an opening in the inclined support surface. This being a design application, it is difficult to determine the exact manner of its use in practice, but it is apparent that the user would sit facing the board on the seat having its narrow front end closest to the board surface.
U.S. Design Pat. No. 245,287, to Damico et al, titled "Examination Table", teaches an apparatus which includes a patient-support table portion in two parts inclinable relative to each other. Support underneath the patient's pelvic region is provided by a portion of the two-part inclinable table support surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,168,514, to Horton, Jr. et al, titled "Modular Radiotherapy Treatment Chair and Methods of Treatment", teaches a chair arrangement with a saddle-like seat for unobstructively supporting a patient in a "straddled stance" to allow therapeutic radiation to be applied to the lower abdominal and pelvic regions. Because such patients would find it difficult to lie flat during treatment, the seat portion is substantially surrounded by a tubular structure and the patient sits with his or her trunk upright.
As is evident from the above-discussed exemplary references, the use of a saddle-like seat to provide support to a patient undergoing examination/treatment is known for certain applications. However, such known solutions do not fully satisfy the need of patients who are best accessed/treated by doctors when the patient is supported with the trunk in an inclined position and with the patient's legs supported in a spread-out disposition so that the doctor has optimum unimpeded frontal access to the patient's upper abdominal region. There is, thus, an existing need for an infinitely adjustable system which enables a doctor to quickly customize the support required by a particular patient and to infinitely adjust the support as needed for optimum frontal pelvic access to the patient. The present invention is intended to meet this long-felt need.